Some things just pair well together, like school districts and societies, like competitions and learning, like art and history.
The Manheim Township School District's historical art contest, sponsored by the Manheim Township Historical Society (MTHS), combines history and art in a unique and educational way. By all accounts, the inaugural exercise was one of those rare win-win-win scenarios.
"Art and history do work well together," said Ben Webber, MTHS' president. "They're very connected. History can be expressed and understood in new ways that connect us all. History is our first science, our first way to understand the world. Art is a way of re-examining that history, of restating our history. You don't have to read a book, you don't have to listen to a lecture, to appreciate history. It can have a life of its own, a vibrancy."
In conjunction with the local school district, MTHS conducted its initial historical art contest from early February to the beginning of March, and some of the 52 judged entries were displayed at Reflections Restaurant, 1390 E. Oregon Road, Leola, once the site of the historic Oregon Tavern. Prizes were awarded in three categories: kindergarten through fourth grade in two dimensions, kindergarten through fourth grade in three dimensions and grades nine through 12 in two dimensions.
Contestants were directed to artistically depict the Oregon Tavern, which was originally built in the 1700s.
"What we were trying to do is get the next generation aware and engaged with historical resources," said Webber. "With the Oregon Tavern, we wanted to give a sense of the legacy that's been passed on to us. We got some comments back with the entries and clearly some of the kids went there. This is part of who we are as a township."
All 52 of the entries were judged by a three-person panel made up of MTHS members. They were all distinctively creative, and each student came away with a better historical understanding of the Oregon Tavern.
First-place winners were Lennon Huxta, kindergarten through fourth grade, 2D; Mason Mitchell, kindergarten through fourth grade, 3D; and Sophia Sokol, grades nine through 12, 2D.
"There were so many prizes we wanted to give," said Webber. "One of the entries was a remarkable 3D Lego version that brought the Oregon Tavern to life. Another was an incredible black-and-white pencil drawing of the Oregon Tavern. There were coloring pages filled in with crayons or paints. One of the 3D entries was made of recyclable and sustainable materials. There were some real creative things using different elements."
"Some of (the students) had a vision of what they wanted to express through art, and they did it," Webber continued. "They were so happy to see their work put on display and recognized. It's important for them to know what they do matters. They were so into it. We gave them a brief story of the Oregon Tavern and its history. We hope the kids learned something about it."
Webber said that the Manheim Township School District was instrumental in pulling off the art contest and that school officials were open to conducting it again next year.
"We were so delighted with how it all came together," said Webber. "The school district surprised us by saying they wanted us to judge it. Reflections Restaurant was so enthusiastic; they said, 'We want to put the artwork on display.' It was great for us because we got to show off the historic nature of the Oregon Tavern. It was a win all the way around."
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